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SusanJ
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| Posted: July 20 2009 at 8:57pm | IP Logged
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We are spending some time staying with my mom this summer and, as usual, we are finding it nearly impossible to avoid discussing money. Dh and I try not to but it comes up all the time and we really struggle to not be judgmental about what seem to us really skewed priorities. It occurred to me recently after a relative made a comment about us in passing that our priorities sometimes give other people a skewed impression of our financial situation. So I thought I'd conduct an informal survey partly for fun and partly as an exercise in charity to show how every family makes their own judgment about how to allocate resources.
1. What is one thing you spend money on that many consider a luxury but you don't?
2. What is one thing you splurge on even though you consider it a luxury?
3. What is one luxury you would never pay for even if money were no object?
4. What is the first luxury you would acquire if money were no object (or the first one you can think of anyway!).
No explanations required . . . I"ll go first:
1. Good shoes
2. Good beer
3. Cable television
4. I'd hire a personal shopper to help keep me stocked with a great wardrobe of quality, stylish clothes that actually fit me through all stages of pregnancy and post-partum.
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Mom to Joseph-8, Margaret-6, William-4, Gregory-2, and new little one due 11/1
Life Together
[URL=http://thejohnstonkids.blogspot.com]The Kids' Blog[/UR
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Red Cardigan
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| Posted: July 20 2009 at 10:03pm | IP Logged
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Oooh, I like this one!
Here are my answers:
1. Daily disposable contact lenses.
2. Really good shampoo.
3. Manicure (keep my nails super-short and never paint 'em.)
4. Somebody to deep-clean my house once a month! 
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http://www.redcardigan.blogspot.com
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guitarnan
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| Posted: July 20 2009 at 10:06pm | IP Logged
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1. Internet access, and lots of it. I write for Web sites. I can't earn money if I can't get online.
2. Irish dance everything. It's a luxury, for sure, but it's my daughter's passion.
3. First class travel (except for dh - I'd love to be able to give him the legroom his oh-so-tall frame needs). I, personally, don't need butler service or top-end designer sheets. Get me there, give me a rental car and a map, and I'm fine.
4. A larger home. There aren't very many of us, but we don't fit too well in the space we have.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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12stars
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| Posted: July 20 2009 at 10:14pm | IP Logged
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Good shoes
and
Good Beer 
I would also have everything that needs to be fixed around this house fixed.
Wood floors all upstairs.
New wardrobes for my DH and myself.
A gym.
A new dishwasher ours is broken.
I would be able to get all the homeschool curiculum I would want.
Ok I am done for now.
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Claudia in Southern California
Wife to George,
Mom to DD 14, DD 10, DD 7, DS 4, DS 2, 1 in heaven, and now due 5/11.
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aussieannie
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| Posted: July 20 2009 at 10:35pm | IP Logged
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Just the thread! THIS is on my mind at present! We have a double bed that is not doing us at all anymore. Dh is sleeping on the lounge more often than not due to having two children in bed and we'd rather not send one to another room or bed. SO we've just bought a king size bed that was on special, we feel this is a good investment in AP!! BUT we feel it is a luxury to go buying the sort of quality mattress we'd like..we have a latex mattress at present and to buy a quality king size mattress let alone a latex one pushes this whole endeavour into the thousands.
We decided today to turn the double mattress horizontally for the king sized bed and then go to the local Clark Rubber store and have some foam the same thickness cut to size to fill in the bottom half of the bed. Our neck and hips will be on the latex, our legs on the foam. We will have to un pick the cotton cover on the latex and cut off 4cm to get it down to king size on it's width. I'll try and be creative in making this a 'seamless' as possible. 
I'll have to think on my list...
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Under Her Starry Mantle
Spiritual Motherhood for Priests
Blessed with 3 boys & 3 girls!
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PDyer
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| Posted: July 20 2009 at 10:38pm | IP Logged
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SusanJ wrote:
1. What is one thing you spend money on that many consider a luxury but you don't? |
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I'm with you, good shoes.
SusanJ wrote:
| 2. What is one thing you splurge on even though you consider it a luxury? |
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Eating out.
SusanJ wrote:
| 3. What is one luxury you would never pay for even if money were no object? |
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A huge, ostentatious house.
SusanJ wrote:
| 4. What is the first luxury you would acquire if money were no object (or the first one you can think of anyway!). |
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A family trip to all our wish-list destinations in the world: Rome, Israel, Ireland, New Zealand, Alaska, Hawaii, and on and on...
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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lambchopwife
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| Posted: July 20 2009 at 11:03pm | IP Logged
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This is a very intersting thread!
Here are mine:
1. Good shampoo and skin care ( gotta look good for the hubby)
2. Lots of School books
3. Large t.v.
4. A good house keeping service once a week, that includes laundry!
God bless,
Cheryl
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~ Be not afraid to tell Jesus that you love Him; even though it be without feeling, this is the way to oblige Him to help you, and carry you like a little child too feeble to walk.~ St. Therese
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Becky Le
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 5:49am | IP Logged
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1. What is one thing you spend money on that many consider a luxury but you don't?
Trips to shows at the Kennedy Center for the children.
2. What is one thing you splurge on even though you consider it a luxury?
Family sushi nights a couple of times/year.
3. What is one luxury you would never pay for even if money were no object?
Designer children's clothing.
4. What is the first luxury you would acquire if money were no object (or the first one you can think of anyway!).
Expensive cheese and other splurge foods from Wegmans.
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Becky, loving wife to Chris and mom to Stephen (11/99), Elizabeth (04/01), Catherine (08/04), Natalie & Samantha (10/07)
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JennGM
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 9:27am | IP Logged
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SusanJ wrote:
1. What is one thing you spend money on that many consider a luxury but you don't? |
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Shoes here, too. I need support.
SusanJ wrote:
| 2. What is one thing you splurge on even though you consider it a luxury? |
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Eating out and getting my hair done.
SusanJ wrote:
| 3. What is one luxury you would never pay for even if money were no object? |
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Sports car.
SusanJ wrote:
| 4. What is the first luxury you would acquire if money were no object (or the first one you can think of anyway!). |
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Too many things, but a housekeeper and physical trainer are two first choices.[/QUOTE]
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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mary theresa
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 9:31am | IP Logged
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1. What is one thing you spend money on that many consider a luxury but you don't?
Organic/natural food
2. What is one thing you splurge on even though you consider it a luxury?
Date nights with my husband at a restaurant. 
3. What is one luxury you would never pay for even if money were no object?
I'm with you, Susan on the cable tv!
4. What is the first luxury you would acquire if money were no object (or the first one you can think of anyway!).
A special separate "Montessori classroom" for homeschooling in.
And Oh, I LOVE your idea Susan also!
And Becky, I'm smiling about the cheese from Wegman's luxury because my husband told me at Wegman's the other day that if we were rich he would buy all kinds of expensive cheese! I never knew that about him!
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Mary Theresa
mother to 3 little girls --March '06, Dec '07 and Jan '10
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JennGM
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 9:38am | IP Logged
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Susan, your answer "Good Beer" to number 2 I would agree here, except "Good Wine". We enjoy sharing wine together, and have splurged many a time on a good bottle. It has made for very nice memories remembering those splurges. WSJ Journal columnists would agree with this philosophy!.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 9:51am | IP Logged
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1. Organic/Natural Food for us, too.
2. Nespresso coffee
3. Can't beat the cable tv answer!
4. Acreage close to dh's work
I agree, Susan, that differing priorities create a lot of confusion about such things, especially among family. It is hard not to be judgmental in these cases nor to feel defensive!
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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molly
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1-Books
2-coffee
3-cell phones for kids
4-speed boat
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LucyP
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 9:58am | IP Logged
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1. What is one thing you spend money on that many consider a luxury but you don't?
Books
2. What is one thing you splurge on even though you consider it a luxury?
Meat
3. What is one luxury you would never pay for even if money were no object?
New cars
4. What is the first luxury you would acquire if money were no object (or the first one you can think of anyway!).
A swimming pool (plus a big garden to put it in!)
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JennGM
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 10:07am | IP Logged
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Do people consider books luxuries? I though they were necessary, you know, like "Food, Water, Clothing, Shelter, and Books."
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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Martha
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 10:16am | IP Logged
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1. What is one thing you spend money on that many consider a luxury but you don't?
top contenders bar none would be homeschooling/SAHM and books. (DH's would be electronics, imho, but most wouldn't consider Wii, Xbox, big screen tv to be luxuries these days. The only reason my dh has them is because he is probably the best bargainer ever.)
2. What is one thing you splurge on even though you consider it a luxury?
mostly coffee and some social snacks ( I love having people over and I like to have cookies, cake, somethign for the kids and adults to munch that we don't buy otherwise.)
occassional wine for me say.. once a quater?
dh home brews beer (which is actually an awesome bartering tool or gift! so it kind of pays off to do it.)
3. What is one luxury you would never pay for even if money were no object?
daycare, private/public school...
4. What is the first luxury you would acquire if money were no object (or the first one you can think of anyway!).
TRAVEL! man we'd be jet setters and globe trekkers in a heartbeat! 3 or 4 weeks travel followed by a couple weeks back at home before we hit the road again sounds about right to us. first stop Vatican City. Second the Rhineland for hubby. The big roller coast place in Ohio for the whole fam...
runner up would be a lake house, complete with dock and boat and 4 wheelers and a spa to sit in while waiting for BBQ off the grill (dh wants one of those outdoor kitchen grill set ups)
hey as long as we're dreamin - let's do both!
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Martha
mama to 7 boys & 4 girls
Yes, they're all ours!
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Mimip
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 10:28am | IP Logged
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1. What is one thing you spend money on that many consider a luxury but you don't?
My cleaning lady
2. What is one thing you splurge on even though you consider it a luxury?
eating out once a week
3. What is one luxury you would never pay for even if money were no object?
A large screen T.V.
4. What is the first luxury you would acquire if money were no object (or the first one you can think of anyway!).
Two houses (we rent) with more rooms and an amazing yard. So we could have homes near both families in MN and FL!
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In Christ,
Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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CrunchyMom
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JennGM wrote:
| Do people consider books luxuries? I though they were necessary, you know, like "Food, Water, Clothing, Shelter, and Books." |
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I suppose I consider *owning* books a luxury sometimes. We are only a couple of blocks from the library, and while you can tell walking into our front room that we are bibliophiles, it is mostly the stacks of library books and not shelves of private collections that reveal that.
Just another of those areas where priorities and perspectives are different. Now, if only I could borrow nice coffee, raw milk, and pastured eggs for free from a location two blocks from my home...
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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DominaCaeli
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CrunchyMom wrote:
| I suppose I consider *owning* books a luxury sometimes. We are only a couple of blocks from the library, and while you can tell walking into our front room that we are bibliophiles, it is mostly the stacks of library books and not shelves of private collections that reveal that. |
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This is my thinking too, Lindsay.
Here's mine:
1. Religious items. We honestly don't own a *lot* of religious art or books yet (we're still building our collections), but I've never regretted purchasing something religious for the kids or our home, no matter how expensive. I only wish we could afford more.
2. Books sometimes. Our garage freezer.
3. Cable. The latest-and-greatest technology.
4. A home. (We rent too.) Travel. More books.
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Blessings,
Celeste
Joyous Lessons
Mommy to six: three boys (8, 4, newborn) and four girls (7, 5, 2, and 1)
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: July 21 2009 at 12:43pm | IP Logged
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1. What is one thing you spend money on that many consider a luxury but you don't?
BABIES!!!!!! (I figure people must think of kids as luxuries with all the talk of not being able to afford them)
2. What is one thing you splurge on even though you consider it a luxury?
special meals.. birthdays, our anniversary
3. What is one luxury you would never pay for even if money were no object?
individual bedrooms for the kids, I think sharing rooms is a good thing
4. What is the first luxury you would acquire if money were no object (or the first one you can think of anyway!).
oh, I'd be buying this house we're looking at.. AND the extra furniture and such that I'd want to have in it  oh that would be so fun to be able to do a few fix it up things and buy just the things I'd want in it..
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Topic: luxuries
